Archive for November, 2013

Well, this Thanksgiving, my new husband and I are traveling 1,200 miles for a special Thanksgiving Meal.

No turkey and stuffing for us this year – I made an ADR at the Sci-Fi Dine In at Disney’s Hollywood Studios!

Sci-Fi is a lunch/dinner restaurant done up in 50s drive in style – Disney calls them “automo-booths”:

So my Thanksgiving Dinner Dream is of a chocolate/vanilla, Bailey’s & Kahlua shake

and spinach & artichoke dip (unless they can make their onion rings gluten free, then I’d definitely go with the onion rings!) which will pair perfectly with watching the B-Movie clips and cartoons on the movie screen!

After dinner, we’re heading over to the Osbourne Family Lights display to get a head start on Christmas!

It was now time to check out our room. First we noticed the new carpet and then the bed, which is the same as those on the Dream and Fantasy. While I understand that many people would like to see beds that still split, personally, I find the new beds more comfortable and am happy with this decision.

The sofa beds were all replaced as well with the same style as on the Dream and Fantasy. The tables were all new, but looked similar to the old ones in design, though were a darker wood. They do not raise like the old ones did however. The stools at the desk were different, more of a “mushroom” like stool instead of a “crescent moon”. There are more outlets available as well as with the addition of the new hairdriers, they needed a 220V outlet by the desk. While there aren’t a lot of outlets available in the cabin, before there was one or two and now there are four.

In the rooms that had steamer trunks there is now a cabinet in its place. This is much nicer as it doesn’t stick out into the room and there are a couple drawers and shelves. I always felt with the steamer trunk that I was piling stuff up in there to get the most use.

I understand that the connecting rooms and two new ADA rooms were completed during the reimagination. It also appears that the cabin doors (both to the hall and bathrooms) have either been replaced, repainted or resurfaced.

Dinner tonight would be in the new Animators Palate. The menu was very similar to the one on the Disney Dream and Fantasy. We only ordered an appetizer and split an entree as we would be at Palo later in the evening.

The show in Animator’s Palate is the same concept as before but significantly upgraded. Called “Drawn to Magic”, this show shows the progression of animation from the line drawings, to color videos. There are lighting upgrades, new drawings and new walls. Everything was amazing!

After dinner, we changed for Palo and went up. The major changes we noticed here were the flooring, lighting and poles. The entryway marble floor is gorgeous! I’m not as thrilled with the carpet or the ribbon of light on the ceiling. They don’t seem as elegant as the rest of the restaurant. The shot glasses used for the sgroppino are all Murano glass and very pretty. It would have been nice to continue the black and tan color scheme throughout the restaurant instead of introducing so many colors in the carpet and lighting. The food was excellent as usual though. On the menu, there was now a six course option with wine pairings to give you more of a Remy-like experience.

We didn’t make it for most of the pirate party, but did arrive in time for the fireworks which were the same as before. After the party we went to After Hours (Beat Street) and Fathoms (Rockin’ Bar D) for Match Your Mate. They have added new benches for the couples which make it look like more of a show.

Fathoms definitely has a more club feel to it. The lighting is fun to watch as the jellyfish change colors like the water seems to under the sea. Other than this, the room is identical in layout. I am not a club person so this is the one room that I felt indifferent about the changes.

After the show, we checked out Keys (Sessions). This was an unusual sailing with so many groups of people so the nightclubs were filled with larger groups. This also meant the noise level was much higher. In Keys, there was a pianist, but it was more like background noise because no one was listening to her, they were too busy talking in their groups. I can imagine though on a regular sailing that this will be a great place to go for a quiet atmosphere.

We also had an opportunity to check out O’Gills. I really liked this on the Fantasy. I also really liked Diversions on the classic ships. O’Gills was not like it is on the Fantasy, other than decor, but I still really enjoyed this place. They still had the comfortable chairs but also had some high tables with stools and the booths are more private now.

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Hot off the presses! We have just received word that the 2015 Disney Cruise Line itineraries for the first part of the year will be released this week. Tomorrow, November 12, 2013, Platinum and Gold Castaway Club members can start booking these dates by phone with dates open to everyone online and by phone on Thursday. Here is what we are seeing for itineraries:

Disney Fantasy – Sailing from Port Canaveral, Florida

7 night Eastern Caribbean with St. Maarten, San Juan and Castaway Cay – January 3, 17, 31, February 14, 28, March 14, 28, April 11, 25

7 night Eastern Caribbean with San Juan, St. Thomas and Castaway Cay – January 10, 24, February 7, 21, March 7, 21, April 4, 18

Additionally, Disney Cruise Line has a new offer for 50% off of deposits on new reservations booked up until December 15, 2013. This cannot be combined with other offers and does not offset the cost of the cruise as the full deposit will be due at the time final payment is made. This offer is good on category 4A – 11C only and does not include any IGT, OGT or VGT cabins or suites. Contact us for further details.

Finally, you can still get your Holiday Gift with Travel On A Dream’s promotion for new cruises booked through December 1, 2013. Quantities are limited so what are you waiting for?

Book your Disney vacation between November 10 and December 1, 2013 and receive your choice of gift from Travel On A Dream*. Choose from Santa Mickey hat, Santa Minnie hat or a Mickey Silhouette Ornament.

Ask for Promotion Code: HOHOHO

*Some restrictions apply. Contact your travel agent for full details. Promotion is being offered by Travel On A Dream only. Valid on Disney vacations totaling $1500 or more. One per reservation number. Disney Packages must include 3-day park tickets. Not valid with any other promotion offered by Travel On A Dream. Travel must take place by the end of 2014. Items will be mailed in time to gift for the holidays. Quantities are limited. Act quickly.

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One of the Seattle City Pass attractions we toured this summer was the Pacific Science Center. The description sounded interesting (Pacific Science Center inspires a lifelong interest in science, math and technology by engaging diverse communities through interactive and innovative exhibits …), but it was mostly geared towards families with younger children, so we were left a little bored… with a few exceptions…